Have you ever been out on a walk and seen some old giant rock or tree? On such occasions, I have often said something along the lines of: “Oh, if this rock could talk or this tree could talk, what a story it could tell.”
Take a close look at the photo of this tree. What story would this tree have to tell? It began with a seed rolling down the rock and falling in a crack. It found just enough soil to germinate. And thus began a life of enduring many trials. As it began to grow, heavy snows and freezing temperatures threaten its very life. As it became a sapling, it could look down on its brothers and sisters growing in plenty of soil and prospering in what seemed like a good life. Over the years, droughts would hit and the tree sent out its roots on top to the rocks hoping to find more water and soil, but there was none. Through all of these trials, the tree grew strong and lived many years. We couldn’t imagine how many lightning storms this tree survived over the years until finally a lightning strike ended its long life in the crack of a rock.
This was truly a unique tree with an incredible and unique story. Each of us has our own incredible and unique story; one that is ours alone. Unlike the tree, our story is still being written. The story we are living is as unique as each of us truly is. If you don’t think you are unique in all the world, just take a look at your fingers. Those swirls and lines that make up your fingerprints are yours and yours alone.
Your story is so very important. We live our story surrounded by others and yet no one really knows our whole story except for ONE, the Lord. He knows everything about us, even the number of hairs on our heads. He knows all the storms and droughts of life that we have gone through. He knows all the good stuff of our story and all of the not-so-good stuff of our story. Yet, in spite of all the wrong decisions and the bad things we may have done, He loves us and He has mercy on us.
Then, He calls us to go love and show mercy to the people we come across in life. They each have their own unique story that has made them just the way they are today. They may have endured storms that we can’t even imagine. They are unique in all this world just like you. May we be instruments of God’s love and mercy to those around us and in so doing, become a part of each other’s story.